CNC Fabrication

Need to make a site model? Have grand ideas for new flat pack furniture? Or just want to make cool things using a CNC Router? This is the place to be!

Getting Started

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General Info

A toolpath consultation with an AML staff member is required to make a booking
The turnaround for a CNC model is between 2-5 days from the toolpath consultation
Cost will be $50/hour plus material costs
The working area on the CNC is 1200 x 2400 x 50mm
Payment must be made prior to picking up the completed model
Bookings are allocated on a first come first serve basis.

Materials

The maximum material thickness we can process on the CNC is 50mm, if your model is thicker we will need to slice it into multiple parts.
We process solid timber, plywood, XPS blue foam, HDPE, LDPE and Acrylic.
A limited selection of material suitable for the CNC is available for purchase from the Design Futures Lab Shop (Link).
If you are looking for a specific species of solid timber, we recommend Anagote timber, 144 Renwick St, Marrickville, NSW 2204. Or Bunnings Warehouse.

NOTE: MDF is not to be used in the DFL

Booking Info

Ensure your material is prepared and ready for your booking.
Stock that needs to be glued together should be glued up the day before so it has adequate time to dry

Estimated Costs for CNC site models

Whilst costs estimated individually during your toolpath consultation, the below examples act as a reference:

Blue Foam

300 x 300 x 50mm site model ½-1 hour + Material
600 x 600 x 50mm site model 1.5-2 hours + Material

Solid Timber

300 x 300 x 50mm site model 1-1.5 hour + Material
600 x 600 x 50mm site model 2.5-3.5 hours + Material
1000 x 1000 x 50 site model 5+ hours + Material

Good to Know

Peak assessment times can be very busy with bookings on the CNC! Ensure you leave adequate time for the cutting and processing of your model.
Many hardwoods and timber products come 'raw sawn' or 'unfinished' from the timber yard and will need to be 'finished' or 'dressed' prior to use. When selecting the thickness of unfinished timber for your project, anticipate that at least 5mm extra will be required to account for the finishing process.
Once your site model is complete, there is still a little bit of post processing required (link to Learn Module post processing)

Get Making

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Title about projects

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SITE MODELS
OTHER PROJECTS

SITE MODELS

1. Create your file

Model your topography in ArchiCAD, Revit, Rhino or Vectorworks.

We have a handy Learn Module for tips on what to include and what not to include in your model

2. Prepare your file for the CNC

Position a corner of your scaled site model at 0, 0, 0
Export your site model to .3dm, .stl, .sat or .step format
Export boundaries of building pads, paths/roads and site borders as separate 2D .dxfs

These boundaries help us define areas to cut on the CNC. Please note, boundaries need to be closed!

3. Book a consultation

Once you have prepared your file, book a toolpath consultation with our AML staff.

Book Here

OTHER PROJECTS

1. Create your file

Model an object in your preferred solid modelling program, SolidWorks and Fusion are fantastic for this!

2. Prepare your file for the CNC

Sharing a file from SolidWorks and Fusion is easy! Simply export your part as a .step file or alternatively, send us the native Fusion or SolidWorks file.

We can advise where you will most likely need to split your file so we can process it on a 3 axis CNC machine.